Employers’ leader blasted for his “middle finger” to unemployed

Minister Lodewijk Asscher of Social Affairs is outraged that VNO-NCW boss Hans de Boer called the unemployed "highly educated, lazy, disinterested weaklings". "Cussing at the unemployed end being proud of it. These times call for an outstretched hand instead of a middle finger." the Deputy Prime Minister said.

In the Volkskrant, De Boer called Dutch people on benefits "lazy louts" who can and should immediately get to work. He thinks the majority of the half a million benefit receivers should "roll up their sleeves", RTL Nieuws reports. "They can simply plant asparagus, in the sun, with the radio on. What's wrong with that?" According to De Boer, the only way to encourage people to work, is be decreasing the welfare benefits.

In 2013 VNO-NCW promised in the Social Accord to introduce 100 thousand jobs for people with work disabilities. According to De Boer, nothing will come of that for the time being. "In all honesty, I have nothing to offer at this time."

Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher made his reaction to these comments known on Twitter. He is outraged.

Other parliamentarians also spoke out. "Mr. De Boer is himself a lazy lout with not delivering the jobs for people with disabilities he promised." according to PvdA parliamentarian John Kersens, RTL Reports. "Prole De Boer has no job for disabled people and spits on those receiving benefits", said Sadet Karabulut. PvdA leader Diederik Samsom can not believe that De Boer "shamelessly admits" that he does not accept work disabled people.

Hans de Boer is currently trending on Twitter, with hundreds of Dutch people lashing out against De Boer's statements.